It's Over

"Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach

I can feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach"

OK, OK, so it's from a Don Henley song and he was in the Eagles, the very epitome of middle of the road, American soft rock and the biggest pile of turd you'll have the misfortune to hear this side of Christmas. 

The summer fishing most certainly is over, although quite few mullet and bass remain, but they're dwindling and it's time for something different. I've eeked it out long enough, starting in April and going all the way through to the present  ( with a gap mid summer when I was distracted by other species).

Spring and especially autumn were the best time for both species.

The local tidal river grabbed me like nothing else has for a very long time. Last year I didn't fish it once.

I think what happened is that when I tried the fly for the mullet this year on the "new" ( for me ) method, I caught first cast,  so I was pretty sure I was on to something. 

The fact that it's a two minute drive or five minute bike ride from the house, meant I was down there at every available opportunity.  And that was alot.

When I didn't fish, my morning walk takes me along the river, so it was easy to keep an eye on what was happening.

I never suspected there were so many bass so far upriver. In early summer, fry were being hit in inches of water as the tide flooded. The first time I tried with the lures, three decent bass were landed in an hour or so.

I've no idea how many bass were caught in total, but it will have been hundreds. All sizes, from tiny to about 4lb. Nothing massive.

Most were on surface poppers, what fantastic sport that is. Plenty on tiny shallow diving plugs too.

Having two species to go at is a massive bonus, especially when one of those species are thin lipped mullet. The mullet don't always show and if they do they don't always feed.

I take a fly and a lure rod, sometimes a net and all the rest of the stuff is crammed into jacket pockets, so I travel ultra light.

Sessions are anything from thirty minutes to a couple of hours.

The "rule" is, if mullet are present and feeding then fish for them. If not, lure fish for bass.

The static fly has proved extremely effective, compared to he standard retrieved or drifted method. It really does test your faith though.

A poxy little bit of fur and feather laying motionless on the bottom ? I suppose that's why it gets me though, each time I get a take I can't believe it.

There are three things to get right.

1. Find feeding fish. 

Around here, they'll be in a few inches of water no more than a foot or two from the bank. Fins and tails out of the water, heads down.

If they're dashing about mid water, or near the surface, you may catch them with another method, but I've found them much, much more difficult in these circumstances. 

2. Get in position without spooking them.

Difficult when they're close in and the water is clear.

Quite often, I'll cast from ten yards or so from the water. 

3. Get the fly in exactly the right place. 

I mean exactly. They normally patrol parallel to the shore, at a very specific distance. If your fly is more than a few inches away from where they pass, you'll probably have along wait.

You also need to keep your eyes open and keep moving until you find numbers of feeding fish.

You'll get very, very muddy.

As will your gear. I hose mine down after most trips. Alright, after some trips.

In all, I had twenty one or twenty two on the fly and a few more on the baited spinner. That's a good return for me.

Two were over 5lb, which is very big for a thin lip and several more were four plus. I suppose the average is around 3lb. 

Chuck in a sea trout, lots of sand smelt, two decent flounders and a twenty five pound carp, all from a practically unfished bit of river and it's been a great season, helped massively by the weather, especially in the autumn. 

Now, if we get several days constant rain and a good flood, it'll be time for chubbing and trotting.